MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuelan government and opposition open US-backed talks

The government and opposition delegations during the first meeting at the La Carlota Convention Center in Caracas

Delegations from the Venezuelan government and one sector of the opposition met on Thursday in Caracas to open negotiations backed by the United States, in the first face-to-face encounter since Nicolás Maduro's detention by US forces on January 3.

The meeting was held behind closed doors at the La Carlota Convention Center, in the Sucre municipality, with no press access. In an identical statement issued by both sides, the teams announced they would remain in permanent session until Wednesday, August 12, when they will decide whether the plenary continues.

The text sets out the agreed principles: respect for national sovereignty, good-faith negotiation, a political, peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, mutual recognition, equality and parity at the table, verifiable compliance with commitments, and protection of the human and political rights of all forces.

The government delegation is led by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez. He is accompanied by lawmakers Pedro Infante, América Pérez, Génesis Garvett and Jorge Arreaza, along with Higher Education Minister Ana María San Juan.

The opposition delegation is headed by Dinorah Figuera, president of the National Assembly elected in 2015, which the United States regards as the last democratically elected institution in the country. Figuera, a 65-year-old physician and member of Primero Justicia, had led that chamber from exile in Spain and returned to Venezuela on Wednesday; the Venezuelan government had issued an arrest warrant against her after her election in 2023. Her delegation includes Marco Aurelio Quiñones, Desiree Barboza, Ramón López, Jorge Millán and Juan Miguel Matheus.

The agenda covers three areas: assistance for those affected by June's earthquakes, strengthening democracy, and guarantees for political and civil rights. The opposition is seeking a restructuring of the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court, the lifting of bans on political parties, a timetable for presidential, regional and parliamentary elections, and the release of political prisoners. None of those points has been agreed.

The State Department issued a statement while the meeting was under way describing the direct talks as a unique opportunity and reiterating its commitment to supporting a Venezuelan-led process, as part of a three-phase plan aimed at stabilization, economic recovery, political reconciliation and a peaceful transition.

The process faces resistance. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has been left out and has said she was not consulted, while stating she will not obstruct it. On the government side, Diosdado Cabello played down the initiative, saying there are talks in the country every day.